Automatic adjustable automobile camping top



- L. B. CASSELL AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE CAMPING TOP Filed nay 2a. 1925 s sheets-sneu 1 A TT ORNE Y July '8 1924. 1,500,573

L. B. CASSELL AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE CAMPING TOP Filed May 28. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY .my s, 1924. 1,500,573

L. B. CASSELL AUTOMATC ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE CAIdI-"I/NG TOP Filed May 28. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESS:

INVENTOR A TT ORNE Y Patented July 8, 1924i'c -LOUIS B. CASSELL, V0]? DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE JSIVIOLVIOBILEI CAMPING- TOP.

Application led May 28,

i' `To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS B. CAssELL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Decatur, Illinois, have invented va certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Adjustable Automobile Camping Tops, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to the devices for use in automatic adjustable automobile camping tops for use on all makes of cars wherein the convenience and comfort of tourists and campers is considered, the invention having particular reference to the provision for the quick and automatic adjustability of the top. j

An object of this invention is to provide a top usable upon any make of automobile having enclosed sides, and to be so constructed that the said top may be readily and automaticallyadjusted so as Vto obvia-te the necessity of providing tents and the consequent numerous and burdensome accouterments, and to provide' a means whereby the said top may be adjust-ed Without the neces- Y Asity of having to handle and put in place various parts and pieces relative to the adjusting operation, there being no separat-e metal or wooden ypartsl of any kind which can possibly become detached or require handling whether the top is open or closed.

Another object is to provide Aa means of adjustment whereby the top may be adjusted to camping position withouttools, by one l person, and without leaving the seat of the car, as the simplemechanism which autofmatically adjusts'the top may be operated from a seated positionif desired, sa-id'mechanism being contained beneath the floor of the car in such a manner as to be accessible from 'asmall and inconspicuous trapdoor, y

thus enabling the operator to accomplish the adjustment in approximately thirtyv seconds or a fraction of thetime required to insert and'arrange arms, braces, pegs, ropes, etc.,

Vincidental to hand means of arranging acovered camping top. 'il

A further ob'ect is to 'provide af means of automatic a justment which will be so 1923t Serial No. 641,830.

constructed that the adjusting stays shall be permanently secured to and constitute one piece with the said top, being movable simultaneously therewith, and being of such sturdy construction as to obviate all possibility of damage by wind or any other reasonable stra-in to which said top may be subjected. YAlso to provide Va braced and ad j ustable top wherein' the bracing and adjustn able features are carried concealed within their natural environments.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary face elevation of the propel- .ling mechanism which is concealed beneath the car floor, being attached to and operating through and upon both sides of the gear beam, the gear handle'being shown in an upright position'and also by dotted lines which indicate the natural positions: of said gear handle while operating or concealed. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the natural position of the various members of the dev-ice'whenV the top is closed. Fig. 3 is a. combination sectional view and fragmentary elevation showing the natural position of the propelling mechanism when in readiness to open the car top, and the natural position of the various members of the front and rear elevating detailsof the device when'the` top is closed. Fig. t is a fragmentary plan' view' showing the propelling mechanism in readiness to open the car top, and also a portion of'both sides of the car walls indicating the relative position o-f the propellingchains and adjusting stays of the device when the top is closed. Fig.5 is a 'fragmentary sectional view showing the nat-- ural position of the various members of the device when the top is open. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the natural positionfof the various members of the device when the top is open, the propelling mechanism rbeing omitted therefrom. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-section of the wall of the car showing the relative position of the various members involved in the wall mechanism. Fig. 8 is an exterior view of an 'automobile showing theltop open with ordinary sectional drop curtains in place upon one side and rear of the top, the sectional drop curtains for the front and foremost side being shown in a rolledup position just within the edge of the top where such curtains are ordinarily carried. Fig. 9 is an exterior view of an automobile showing the top closed for touring and illustrating that this invention does not, when applied to any standard make of car, cause the car to differ in appearance from any other having a permanent top built on at the factory. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the adjusting' device installed, the gear handle 3 being turned completely down, shown by dotted lines 16, in Fig. 1, top closed for traveling. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View showing the adjusting device installed, the gear handle 3 being in position preparatory to adjustment as siown in Fig. 1, and the top o-pen for camping.

In the drawings,l the numeral'l indicates a ratchet wheel mounted von a.V shaft 2 adapted to be rotated in a forward direction by means of suitable actuating means, com- Y prising Ain the present instance a pawl`4 mounted on a lever 3 which projects through an opening into the body of the automobile within easy access of the driver. The pawl 4 is held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel by means of a spring 6 attached to the pawl 4 at one end and to the lever 3 at the other end. A dog 5 pivotally mounted ina floor supporting'beam 13, and held kin engagement with the `teeth 8 of the ratchet wheel by means of a spring 7 is provided to hold the ratchet wheel normally against backward rotation. Connected to a bell crank lever 9 is a lifter rod 10' for lifting the pawl 4. Mounted on each side ofthe floor beam 13 is a 'metal plate 11, secured to the beam by means of bolts 12. As illustrated, the lever 3 projects through an open slot in the automobile body floor 14, which slot permits the driver to withdraw the lever tothe position indicated by the dotted lines 15, preparatory to propellingthe ratchet wheel 1 in a forward direction, as will later be described,`the forward positions of the lever 3 being indicated by j dotted lines at 16. Y

Extending upwardly from thefloor 14 are studs 17 `to which the outer and inner walls of the automobile body are secured, Se

Vcured to the studs 17 at each end thereof sills'22. i The exterior wall 25 extends fromA the lower edge of the floor beams 13 to the upper edge of the sills 22. The adjustable top comprises the interior wall, or veneer 26 secured to the lower edges of supporting beams 27 and an exterior wall, or veneer 28 also secured to these beams.

Journaled in a hanger attached to the bottom side of the floor 14, at each sideuof the body of the automobile is a chain, or cable, pulley 29. A similar pair of pulleys 30 is secured to the bottom side of the sills 22, these pulleys supporting chains, or cables, 39-and v41 which are secured to spools, or drums, 35 and 37, respectively, mounted on the shaft 2. The chains, or cables, 39 and 41 extend from the spools 35 and 37 over the upper pulleys 30 and thence downward-V ly to tie caps 34 secured to the lower ends of the stays. 23, so that these stays may be lifted by `means of the chains when it is desired to elevate kthe automobile top. A similar arrangement Vof pulleys 31 and 32, and chains, or cables, 40 and 42 extending from spools 36 and 38 is provided for the topA supporting stays 23 at the other end ofthe automobile body. It will be observed by reference to Figs. 8, 10 and 11 that there are two pairs of oppositely .disposed topV supporting stays 23, one pair located near each end of the body. .It will be further observed that the chains, or cables, 39 and 41 are attached to the front staysand the chains, or cables, 40 and 42, to the rear stays, each chain of a pair being so wound on its spool as that rotation ofthe shaft 2 in a` forward direction will cause' each chain to be wound on its spool simultaneously to lift all the stays 23 and thus elevate the automobile top.

The entire apparatus is so constructed and arranged that the supporting stays, pulleys, chains andL spools and also the ratchet and pawl are concealed either beneath the floor or within the walls of the body, soas to give the automobile body a neat and pleasing appearance.

In adjusting the top from a closed to an open position the ratchet 'handle 3 is drawn back to a position as indicated by dotted Vlines 15, engaging the ratchet teeth 8 with the pawl 4 and Vpropelling said ratchet Vhandle 3 toan opposite position longitudinally with beam 13, thus turning the'ratchet which engages shaft 2 which in turn `engages `the spoolsV 35, 36, 37, and V38 which thereby engage and wind upon them--A selvesthe chains 39, 40, 41 and 42, the chains 39 and 41 extending horizontally from the upper and lower sides respectively `of spools `V 35 and 37 Vto and engaging the front base ,pulleys 29 on opposite sides of the car beneath the floor 14 and extending thence vertically upward, engagingthe pulleys 30 1n opposite walls of the car, fastened to and beneath the sills v22 between wall beam 17 and adjusting stay 23, extending thence vertically downwardparallel with the edge of adjusting stay 23 to the chain tie cap 34 which engages the chain terminal securely uponjthe base end of said adjusting stay 23. The chains 40 and 42 extending horizontally from the upper and lower sides respectively of spools 36 and 38 to and engaging the rear base pulleys 31 in opposite walls of the car beneath the floor 1/1 and extending thence vertically upward, parallel with the edge of adjusting stay 23, through an aperture provided in sills 22 in opposite Walls of the car, engaging the main rear top pulleys 32 which are inset in said sills 22, and thence horizontally, within the chain grooves 43 provided in the top surface of said sills 22 between main rear top pulleys 32 and subordinate rear top pulleys 33 in opposite walls of the car, engaging said subordinate rear top pulleys 33, and thence vertically downward parallel with the edge of adjusting stay 23 to the chain tie cap 34C which engages the chain terminal securely upon the base end of said adjusting stay 23. Thus, the various mechanical members are propelled a certain distance within their natural environments, the clutch dog 5 by means of clutch dog spring 7 checking into the consecutive grooves between the ratchet teeth 8 engaging the saine and thus holding the ratchet 1 in a stopped position until the ratchet handle 3 may again be brought back into the position as shown by the dotted lines 15 preparatory to further operations for the purpose of opening or elevating the car top.

In adjusting the top from an open to a,

closed position the ratchet handle 3 is grasped by the hand and propelled to a position to release clutch dog 5 which is then held in a position free from contact with ratchet teeth 8 by means ofthumb pressure upon its handle at which time the ratchet handle 3 is moved, followed by the inovement in a like direction of ratchet 1 upon shaft 2, being propelled by the force of gravity resulting from the weight of the car top suspended by and upon the various mechanical members of the adjusting mechanism, to a position as indicated by the dotted lines 15 when the clutch dog 5 is released and again permitted to engage the ratchet teeth 8, permitting ratchet handle 3 to be moved to an opposite position longitudinally with beam 13 without propelling the ratchet 1 by means of being released from propelling contact therewith by a slight pressure upon ratchet lever 9 which engages lever rod 10 which engages and lifts main dog 4 out of contact with ratchet teeth 8. Thus, the various mechanical members are propelled a certain distance within their natural environment for the purpose of closing or lowering the car top, the opening land closing action of the propelling mechanism being repeated from one to twelve times in vthe respective instances, the number of times being governed by the amount of adjustment desired.

l claim i 1. In an automobile body, the combination of au automatic adjustable camping top therefor having lifting and supporting means concealed within the walls and beneath the ioor of said body, said means comprising vertical supporting members carried by said top and slidably mounted in fixed guides; chains or cables connected to said supporting members, spools rotatably mounted beneath the iioor of said body upon which said chains or cables are adapted to be wound to lift said camping top, ratchet means for rotating said spools and a manually operable dog for holding said spools against rotation in the opposite direction, said camping top being adapted automatically to ret-urn by gravity to its closed position when said dog is released from engagement with said ratchet means.

2. In an automobile body, the combination of an automatic adjustable camping top therefor having lifting and supporting means concealed within the walls and beneath the floor of said body, said means comprising vertical supporting members carried by said top and slidably mounted in fixed guides, a shaft journaled in bearings secured to the under side of said floor, spools mounted on said shaft, lifting and support- .ing chains or cables adapted to be wound on said spools and connected to the lower ends of said supporting members, supporting pulleys for said chains or cables, a ratchet wheel for propelling said shaft in one direction and a dog for holding said shaft against rotation in the opposite direction, said camping top being adapted automatically to return by gravity to its closed position when said dog is released from said ratchet wheel.

3. In an automobile body, the combination of an automatic adjustable camping top therefor, having lifting and supporting means concealed within the walls and be neath the floor of said body, comprising a pair of vertical supporting members for each end of said top slidably mounted in guides within the walls of said body, pairs of spools mounted on a shaft journaled in bearings secured to the under side of the floor of said body, pairs of chains or cables wound upon said spools and connected to the corresponding lower ends of said top supports, each pair of chains or cables being wound on said spools in oppositely disposed relation to each other and adapted simult-aneously to lift said supporting members and said top when the shaft carrying the spools is rotated in one direction, chain or cable supporting pulleys mounted in said body, a ratchet device for lifting and supporting said top in an elevated position, said ratchet device comprising a ratchet Wheel mounted position when said dog is released frolnsaidV on said shaft, a lever mounted on said shaft ratchet Wheel.

and extending into the interior of said body, In testimony whereof I have hereto afiixed a pawl carried by said lever adapted to promy signature in the presence of two Wit- 5 pel said 'ratchet Wheel in one direction and a nesses.

dog pivotally mounted on said body and Y y 1 i engaging the teeth of said ratchet Wheel to LOUIS B' CASSBLL' hold said Wheel against rotation in the op- Vitnesses:

posite direction7 said top being adapted to C. P. KENNEDY,

l0 return automatically by gravity to its closed G. LORENZE MILLER. l 

